SB556, s. 51 8Section 51. 27.02 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB556,21,29 27.02 (1) Except as provided under sub. (2) and except in counties that have
10created a county park district under s. 27.161
, in every county with a population of
11at least 150,000, but less than 500,000, and in any other county with a population
12of less than 150,000 wherein the county board has by resolution provided for a county
13park commission subject to ss. 27.02 to 27.06, the chairperson of the county board
14shall appoint a county park commission consisting of 7 members, any number of
15which may be members of the county board. The appointments shall be made in
16writing and filed in the office of the county clerk. The term of each member, except
17county board members, is 7 years following July 1 of the year in which the
18appointment is made and until the appointment and qualification of a successor,
19except that the first 7 members shall be appointed respectively for such terms that
20on July 1 in each of the 7 years following the year in which they are appointed the
21term of one member will expire. After the original appointments one commissioner
22shall be appointed annually in the month of June to succeed the member whose term
23will expire on July 1 following, except that in counties with a population of at least
24150,000 but less than 500,000 the members shall be elected by the county board of
25supervisors. The term of any park commissioner appointed to the commission while

1serving as a county board member shall end when the commissioner's membership
2on the county board terminates, unless thereafter reappointed to the commission.
SB556, s. 52 3Section 52. 27.03 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB556,21,134 27.03 (2) In any county with a county executive or a county administrator, other
5than in a county that creates a county park district under s. 27.161,
the county
6executive or county administrator shall appoint and supervise a general manager of
7the park system. The appointment shall be subject to confirmation by the county
8board unless the county board, by ordinance, elects to waive confirmation or unless
9the appointment is made under a civil service system competitive examination
10procedure established under s. 59.52 (8) or ch. 63. In any county with a population
11of 500,000 or more, the general manager of the park system shall be in the
12unclassified civil service and is subject to confirmation by the county board unless
13the county board, by ordinance, elects to waive confirmation.
SB556, s. 53 14Section 53. 27.05 (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB556,21,22 1527.05 Powers of commission or general manager. (intro.) The Except in
16a county that creates a county park district under s. 27.161, the
county park
17commission, or the general manager in counties with a county executive or county
18administrator, shall have charge and supervision of all county parks and all lands
19acquired by the county for park or reservation purposes. The county park
20commission or general manager, subject to the general supervision of the county
21board and regulations prescribed by the county board, except as provided under s.
2227.03 (2), may do any of the following:
SB556, s. 54 23Section 54. 27.06 of the statutes is amended to read:
SB556,22,4 2427.06 Mill-tax appropriation. The Except in a county that creates a county
25park district under s. 27.161, the
county board may annually, at the same time that

1other county taxes are levied, levy a tax upon the taxable property of such county for
2the purchase of land and the payment of expenses incurred in carrying on the work
3of the park commission. In every county having a population of 500,000 or more, the
4county park commission shall be subject to s. 59.60.
SB556, s. 55 5Section 55. 27.075 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB556,23,46 27.075 (1) The Except in a county that creates a county park district under s.
727.161, the
county board of any county with a population of less than 500,000 is
8hereby vested with all powers of a local, legislative , and administrative character for
9the purpose of governing, managing, controlling, improving, and caring for public
10parks, parkways, boulevards, and pleasure drives; and to carry out these powers in
11districts which it may create for different purposes, or throughout the county, and for
12such purposes to levy county taxes, to issue bonds, assessment certificates, and
13improvement bonds, or any other evidence of indebtedness. The powers hereby
14conferred under this section may be exercised by the county board in any town, city
15or village
city, village, or town, or part thereof located in such the county upon the
16request of any such town, city or village city, village, or town, evidenced by a
17resolution adopted by a majority vote of the members-elect of its governing body,
18designating the particular park function, duty, or act, and the terms, if any, upon
19which the same shall be exercised by the county board. Such The resolution shall
20state whether the authority or function is to be exercised exclusively by the county
21or jointly by the county and the town, city or village city, village, or town, and shall
22also state that the exercise of such the power by the county is in the public interest.
23Upon the receipt of the resolution, the county board may, by a resolution adopted by
24a majority vote of its membership, elect to assume the exercise of such the authority
25or function, upon the terms and conditions set forth in the resolution presented by

1the town, city or village city, village, or town. A city, village, or town that wishes to
2terminate its participation with a county under s. 27.161 (3) may negotiate the
3termination of any agreement entered into with a county under this subsection or
4may remain a party to the agreement
.
SB556, s. 56 5Section 56. 27.075 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB556,23,206 27.075 (2) The county board of any such county, or the commission of a district
7created under s. 27.161,
may, by a resolution adopted by a majority of its
8membership, propose to the towns, cities and villages cities, villages, and towns
9located in such the county, or any of them, that it offers to exercise such the powers
10and functions therein in order that are necessary to consolidate municipal park
11services and functions in said the county. Such The resolution shall designate the
12particular function, duty, or act and the terms and conditions, if any, upon which the
13county board or district will perform the same. The powers conferred in sub. (1) and
14designated in such the resolution may thereafter be exercised by the county board,
15or commission,
in each such town, city or village which shall accept such city, village,
16or town which accepts the
proposal by the adoption of a resolution by a majority vote
17of the members-elect of its governing body, except that no governing body may accept
18any proposal described under this subsection unless it contains a provision under
19which the city, village, or town may terminate its agreement with the county or the
20district
.
SB556, s. 57 21Section 57. 27.075 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB556,24,222 27.075 (3) After the adoption of resolutions by the county board, the county
23board shall have full power to
or the commission as defined in s. 27.16 (1), the board
24or commission may
legislate upon and administer the entire subject matter
25committed to it, and among other things, to and may determine, where not otherwise

1provided by law, the manner of exercising the power thus assumed. No county may
2exercise any power in a county park district under subch. VI of ch. 229.
SB556, s. 58 3Section 58. 27.075 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB556,24,244 27.075 (4) The town, city or village concerned A city, village, or town may enter
5into necessary contracts with the county, or the district as defined in s. 27.16 (3), and
6appropriate money to pay the county or the district, for the reasonable expenses
7incurred in rendering the park services assumed. Such The contract shall also
8provide a procedure for the termination of the contract by any city, village, or town.
9The
expenses may be certified, returned, and paid as are other county charges, and,
10in the case of services performed pursuant to under a proposal for the consolidation
11thereof of municipal park services initiated by the county board or district and made
12available to each town, city and village city, village, and town in the county on the
13same terms, the expenses thereof shall be certified, returned, and paid as county
14charges; but in the event that each and every town, city and village if every city,
15village, and town
in the county shall accept such accepts the proposal of the county
16board or district the expenses thereof shall be paid by county or district taxes to be
17levied and collected as are other taxes for county purposes. Said towns, cities and
18villages are vested with all necessary power to do the things herein required, and to
19do all things and to exercise or relinquish any of the powers herein provided or
20contemplated.
The procedure herein provided in this section for the request or
21acceptance of the exercise of the powers conferred on the county board or district
22commission
in cities and villages is hereby prescribed as a special method of
23determining the local affairs and government of such cities and villages pursuant to
24article XI, section 3, of the constitution.
SB556, s. 59 25Section 59. 27.16 of the statutes is created to read:
SB556,25,1
127.16 Definitions. In ss. 27.16 to 27.165:
SB556,25,2 2(1) "Commission" means the governing body of a district
SB556,25,3 3(2) "Commissioners" means the commissioners of a district.
SB556,25,5 4(3) "District" means a county park district which is a special purpose district
5created under s. 27.161.
SB556,25,6 6(4) "Municipality" means a city, village, or town.
SB556,25,9 7(5) "Park facilities" means a public park, including improvements, that is
8owned by a district, or a public park, including improvements, that is owned by a
9municipality but is under the management and control of a district, or both.
SB556, s. 60 10Section 60. 27.161 of the statutes is created to read:
SB556,25,19 1127.161 Creation, organization, and administration. (1) Any county
12board may enact an ordinance separating its county park commission or county park
13department from the county and create a special purpose district that is a unit of
14government, that is a body corporate and politic, that is separate and distinct from,
15and independent of, the state, the county, and every municipality that is located
16within the county, and that has the powers under s. 27.163. The boundaries and
17jurisdiction of the district is coterminous with the boundaries of the county. The
18county board shall send copies of the ordinance to every municipality that is wholly
19or partly within the county.
SB556,25,22 20(2) Before a district may be created, the county board shall adopt a resolution
21or enact an ordinance which shall take effect following its enactment and that
22addresses at least all of the following provisions:
SB556,26,223 (a) A mechanism that provides a loan of start-up funds for the initial operating
24costs of the district. The loaned start-up funds shall be sufficient to sustain the

1district until it receives the first amount of proceeds from a tax that is imposed under
2s. 27.163 (8).
SB556,26,43 (b) A method of appointing temporary commissioners to serve until the initial
4commissioners are elected at the spring election and qualified to take office.
SB556,26,65 (c) An apportionment plan for the election of the commissioners under sub. (6)
6(b).
SB556,26,87 (d) A method to transfer title of the park facilities from the county to the
8district.
SB556,26,14 9(3) Before the county board may consider a resolution or ordinance that is
10described under sub. (2), each municipality that is subject to an agreement or
11contract with a county under s. 27.075 (1), (2), or (4) may negotiate with the county
12the termination of any such agreements or contracts or may remain as a party to the
13agreement or contract knowing that the district will assume the county's
14responsibility under the agreement or contract.
SB556,26,15 15(4) If a district is created, on the date that the creation becomes effective:
SB556,26,1716 (a) All assets and liabilities of the county with respect to park and recreational
17functions become assets and liabilities of the district.
SB556,26,2318 (b) All positions of the county having functions related to parks and recreation,
19and the incumbent employees occupying those positions, become positions and
20employees of the district. Employees so transferred have all the rights under subch.
21IV of ch. 111 and s. 59.52 (8) or subch. I of ch. 63 that they enjoyed as employees of
22the county. No employee so transferred who has attained permanent status in class
23is required to serve a probationary period.
SB556,26,2524 (c) All tangible personal property of the county with respect to park and
25recreational functions is transferred to the district.
SB556,27,4
1(d) All contracts entered into by the county with respect to park and
2recreational functions remain in effect and are transferred to the district. The
3district shall carry out any obligations under such a contract until the contract is
4modified or rescinded by the district, to the extent allowed under the contract.
SB556,27,85 (e) Any matter pending with the county with respect to park and recreational
6functions is transferred to the district and all materials submitted to or actions taken
7by the county with respect to park and recreational functions are considered as
8having been submitted to or taken by the district.
SB556,27,11 9(5) (a) 1. The district is governed by a commission. The commission may adopt
10bylaws to govern the district's activities, subject to this subchapter. The commission
11shall consist of 9 members who are elected at-large.
SB556,27,1312 2. The commissioners shall be elected at the spring election pursuant to an
13apportionment plan under par. (b).
SB556,27,1814 3. The first election of commissioners shall occur in April of the year following
15the year in which the resolution or ordinance described in sub. (2) (a) takes effect.
16Temporary members shall be appointed according to the ordinance or resolution
17under sub. (2) (b) to serve until the initial members are elected at the spring election
18and qualified to take office.
SB556,27,2319 (b) 1. Each apportionment plan shall divide the entire district into apportioned
20geographic areas for the election of commissioners. The boundaries of the
21apportioned areas shall remain unchanged unless the commission, by resolution
22adopted no later than November 1 preceding a spring election, prescribes revised
23boundaries for the election of commissioners at that election and thereafter.
SB556,28,3
12. Each candidate for commissioner shall state on the face of his or her
2declaration of candidacy and nomination papers the apportioned area for which the
3candidate seeks office.
SB556,28,94 (c) Each commissioner shall be a resident of the district and, a resident of the
5apportioned area for which he or she is elected at the time that the member takes the
6oath of office. If a commissioner who is elected from an apportioned area ceases to
7be a resident of that area after the beginning of his or her term of office but continues
8to be a resident of the district, the member may continue to serve for the remainder
9of the term for which he or she was elected or appointed.
SB556,28,1910 (d) The terms of the commissioners shall be 3 years, beginning on the first
11Monday in June following their election to office, except that the terms of one-third
12of the initial persons elected to office shall expire on the first Monday in June that
13is one year following that year; the terms of one-third of the initial persons elected
14to office shall expire on the first Monday in June that is 2 years following that year;
15and the terms of one-third of the persons elected to office shall expire on the first
16Monday in June that is 3 years following that year. Members of the commission may
17be removed from office before the expiration of their terms, for cause, as provided
18under s. 17.13 (3) and may be recalled as provided under s. 9.10. Vacancies in the
19office of commissioner shall be filled as provided under s. 17.27 (1f).
SB556,28,2420 (e) The commission shall elect from its membership a chairperson, a vice
21chairperson, a secretary, and a treasurer. A majority of the current membership of
22the commission constitutes a quorum to do business. The district may take action
23based on the affirmative vote of a majority of those commissions directors who are
24present at a meeting of the commission board.
SB556,29,4
1(f) 1. The commission shall appoint a person to serve as clerk of the district.
2The clerk shall administer the affairs of the district, under the direction of the
3commission. Within 7 days after the appointment of any person to fill a vacancy on
4the commission, the clerk shall notify the person of his or her appointment.
SB556,29,245 2. No later than 5 p.m. on the 2nd Tuesday in January, the clerk shall certify
6to the county clerk the names of candidates who have filed valid nomination papers
7for commissioner and who are eligible to have their names appear on the ballot under
8s. 8.30. If any municipality lying wholly or partially within the district prepares its
9own ballots under s. 7.15 (2) (c), the clerk shall similarly certify the names of
10candidates to the municipal clerk. In making these certifications, the clerk shall
11designate the form of each candidate's name to appear on the ballot in the manner
12prescribed under s. 7.08 (2) (a). If a primary is held for any seat on a commission,
13the clerk shall certify to the county clerk the names of candidates who have won
14nomination to the commission and who are eligible to have their names appear on
15the ballot under s. 8.30. If any municipality lying wholly or partially within the
16district prepares its own ballots under s. 7.15 (2) (c), the clerk shall similarly certify
17the names of candidates to the municipal clerk. The clerk shall notify the municipal
18clerk of each municipality lying wholly or partially within the district of any district
19election and furnish each municipal clerk with a copy of the notice of the district
20election. If paper ballots are utilized at a district election, the clerk shall provide each
21municipal clerk with an adequate supply of ballots for the election at least 22 days
22before the election. The clerk shall issue certificates of election to persons who are
23elected to the commission after each election in the manner provided under s. 7.53
24(4).
SB556,30,2
1(g) The commissioners shall be reimbursed for their actual and necessary
2expenses incurred in the performance of their duties, but may not receive a salary.
SB556,30,53 (h) Upon the election under par. (a) and qualification of a majority of the
4commissioners, the commission may exercise the powers and duties of a commission
5under this subchapter.
SB556,30,66 (i) At its first meeting, the commission shall name the district.
SB556,30,8 727.162 Jurisdiction. The jurisdiction of a district shall consist of the territory
8of the county that creates the district.
SB556,30,11 927.163 Powers of district. A district has all of the powers necessary or
10convenient to carry out the purposes and provisions of ss. 27.16 to 27.165. In addition
11to all other powers granted by this subchapter, a district may do all of the following:
SB556,30,12 12(1) Adopt and alter an official seal.
SB556,30,13 13(2) Sue and be sued in its own name, and plead and be impleaded.
SB556,30,14 14(3) Maintain an office.
SB556,30,15 15(4) In connection with park facilities:
SB556,30,1716 (a) Acquire, develop, equip, maintain, improve, operate, and manage the park
17facilities.
SB556,30,1918 (b) Enter into contracts, subject to such standards as may be established by the
19board of directors.
SB556,30,2020 (c) Grant concessions.
SB556,30,2121 (d) Operate recreational facilities or programs.
SB556,30,25 22(5) Employ personnel, and fix and regulate their compensation; and provide,
23either directly or subject to an agreement under s. 66.0301 as a participant in a
24benefit plan of the county, any employee benefits, including an employee pension
25plan.
SB556,31,3
1(6) Purchase insurance, establish and administer a plan of self-insurance, or,
2subject to an agreement with the county under s. 66.0301, participate in a
3governmental plan of insurance or self-insurance.
SB556,31,6 4(7) Set standards governing the use of, and the conduct within, its park
5facilities and recreational facilities in order to promote public safety and convenience
6and to maintain order.
SB556,32,2 7(8) To carry out its functions, by resolution levy a tax on the taxable property
8in the district, as equalized by the department of revenue under s. 70.57, except that
9no increase in the tax levy rate is effective until the resolution is approved by a
10majority of the electors in the county voting on the resolution at a referendum, to be
11held at the first spring primary, spring election, September primary, general election,
12or special election held throughout the district that is held at least 45 days after the
13date of adoption of the resolution. The question submitted shall be whether the
14property tax levy for the district may be increased by a specified amount. The clerk
15of the district shall publish the notices required under s. 10.06 (4) (c), (f), and (i) for
16any referendum held under this subsection. Notwithstanding s. 10.06 (4) (c), the type
17A notice under s. 10.01 (2) (a) relating to the referendum is valid even if given and
18published late as long as it is given and published prior to the election as early as
19practicable. If a board of directors adopts a resolution that increases the property
20tax levy for the district and the resolution is approved by the electors, the district
21clerk shall deliver a certified copy of the resolution to the secretary of revenue at least
2230 days before its effective date. The tax levy shall be applied to the respective real
23property and personal property tax rolls of the city, village, and town included in the
24district and shall not be included within any limitation on county or municipality

1taxes. Collected taxes levied under this paragraph shall be paid to the district
2treasurer.
SB556,32,43 (a) Accept gifts and other aid, which may be used only for the following
4purposes:
SB556,32,55 (b) Maintaining the park facilities.
SB556,32,66 (c) Operating the park facilities.
SB556,32,77 (d) Making capital improvements to the park facilities.
SB556,32,9 8(10) Administer the receipt of revenues, and oversee the payment of bills or
9other debts incurred by the district.
SB556,32,10 10(11) Adopt a resolution to impose impact fees under s. 66.0617.
SB556,32,11 11(12) Issue debt under ch. 67 only for capital improvements to park facilities.
SB556,32,16 1227.164 Powers and duties of, and limitations on, counties. (1) Except
13as otherwise provided in this section, the county board that created the district may
14not create a park or expend any funds to support a park or recreational facilities, or
15impose an impact fee under s. 66.0617 for park facilities, after the imposition of the
16taxes described under s. 27.163 (8).
SB556,32,18 17(2) In addition to any powers that it may otherwise have, a municipality located
18wholly or partly within a district's jurisdiction may do any of the following:
SB556,32,2019 (a) Make loans to a district upon terms that the municipality considers
20appropriate.
SB556,32,2221 (b) Lease or transfer property to a district upon terms that the municipality
22considers appropriate.
SB556,32,24 2327.165 Arbitration; dissolution of district. (1) Dissolution. If a district
24is dissolved, on the date the dissolution becomes effective:
SB556,33,2
1(a) All assets and liabilities of the district become assets and liabilities of the
2county.
SB556,33,73 (b) All positions of the district, and the incumbent employees occupying those
4positions, become positions and employees of the county. Employees so transferred
5have all the rights under subch. I of ch. 63, subch. IV of ch. 111, and s. 59.52 (8) that
6they enjoyed as employees of the district. No employee so transferred who has
7attained permanent status in class is required to serve a probationary period.
SB556,33,88 (c) All tangible personal property of the district is transferred to the county.
SB556,33,129 (d) All contracts entered into by the district remain in effect and are transferred
10to the county. The county shall carry out any obligations under such a contract until
11the contract is modified or rescinded by the county, to the extent allowed under the
12contract.
SB556,33,1613 (e) Any matter pending with the district is transferred to the county and all
14materials submitted to or actions taken by the district with respect to park and
15recreational functions are considered as having been submitted to or taken by the
16county.
SB556,33,19 17(2) Arbitration. In the event that a question arises concerning the application
18of s. 27.161 (4) or sub. (1) to any situation, the question shall be resolved by the county
19board of supervisors, subject to any applicable law.
SB556, s. 61 20Section 61. 30.277 (1b) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB556,33,2321 30.277 (1b) (a) "Governmental unit" means a city, a village, a town, a county
22for which a county park district has not been created, a county park district, or the
23Kickapoo reserve management board.
SB556, s. 62 24Section 62. 66.0301 (1) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB556,34,12
166.0301 (1) (a) In this section "municipality" means the state or any
2department or agency thereof, or any city, village, town, county, school district, public
3library system, public inland lake protection and rehabilitation district, sanitary
4district, farm drainage district, metropolitan sewerage district, sewer utility district,
5solid waste management system created under s. 59.70 (2), local exposition district
6created under subch. II of ch. 229, local professional baseball park district created
7under subch. III of ch. 229, local professional football stadium district created under
8subch. IV of ch. 229, a local cultural arts district created under subch. V of ch. 229,
9county park district created under s. 27.161, family care district under s. 46.2895,
10water utility district, mosquito control district, municipal electric company, county
11or city transit commission, commission created by contract under this section,
12taxation district, regional planning commission, or city-county health department.
SB556, s. 63 13Section 63. 66.0617 (1) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB556,34,2214 66.0617 (1) (a) "Capital costs" means the capital costs to construct, expand, or
15improve public facilities, including the cost of land, and including legal, engineering,
16and design costs to construct, expand, or improve public facilities, except that not
17more than 10% of capital costs may consist of legal, engineering, and design costs
18unless the political subdivision or county park district can demonstrate that its legal,
19engineering, and design costs which relate directly to the public improvement for
20which the impact fees were imposed exceed 10% of capital costs. "Capital costs" does
21not include other noncapital costs to construct, expand, or improve public facilities
22or the costs of equipment to construct, expand, or improve public facilities.
SB556, s. 64 23Section 64. 66.0617 (1) (am) of the statutes is created to read:
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